'Bombay Velvet' producers move High Court for protection against piracy

New Delhi: Producers of upcoming Bollywood crime drama 'Bombay Velvet' have moved the Delhi High Court seeking a restraint on local cable operators and websites from showing or providing online access to pirated versions of the Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma starrer.

Distributors Fox Star Studios India Ltd has moved the court on the ground that piracy of the movie, also starring Karan Johar, would cause irreparable financial loss to it and as well as to co-producers Phantom Films.

The film, directed and co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, is based on historian Gyan Prakash's book 'Mumbai Fables' and is set in Bombay of the 1960s.

Scheduled for release on May 15, 'Bombay Velvet' tells the story of boxer Johnny Balraj (Ranbir) and aspiring jazz singer Rosie (Anushka) and how their hopes and dreams collide with their individual realities.Fox has filed the civil suit against Macpuler William who owns some of the websites and sought that they be restrained from showing or providing online access to the film.

According to Saikrishna and associates, which is representing Fox, the company in its plea has also sought directions on the lines of a 'John Doe' order restraining even those websites which are not mentioned in the suit and may in future infringe its copyright.

John Doe orders are injunctions issued against unknown persons or entities. The suit is likely to be taken up by the court next week.